Risky Tactics
by John Mira
Summary: Follow the adventure of Imperial Pilot Riker as he fights for his life against an Ork Space Hulk!


Risky Tactics

-Riker! Roll right and prepare for another run!—

Voltz's voice cracked over the radio, as another blast sent waves of pure energy across the prow of his marauder fighter-bomber. Riker rolled through another series of blasts, expertly handling the controls, moving the craft smoothly, and setting up for another attack run.

-Target is big, blue, and glowing! Approach low and fast, and watch out for the locals—

Riker sped up, trying to avoid the blasts from the Ork hulk. Solid shot and laser blast hammered his approach, but he kept true to his orders. The Ork Hulk dwarfed his own crusier, the _Emperors Intervention_, but the smaller fighters harassed the lumbering behemoth with their speed and accuracy. Odd chunks of metal and random objects jutted from the Hulk, reflecting none of the smooth beauty of the _Emperors Intervention, _but rather projected the murderous intent of the Space Hulk. Bits of rock gravitated around the rock with mines or guns attached, caught in the hulks gravitational field. Riker could not help but stare at the imposing size of the Hulk. Orks were supposed to be stupid, yet they constantly threatened Imperial worlds with their simple tactics.

"Mole, you have a lock yet!?" Riker screamed over the noise of the battle.

-Give me another second…..Lock on!—

Riker looked to his belts and supports as the bombs started to fall from the marauder. He almost felt lighter as tons and tons of ordinance fell into the guts of the Hulk. Comical faces and racy drawings were crudely painted onto the front of the warheads, making him chuckle as he released his payload. Mole, his copilot and bombardier had timed the drop perfectly. The bombs hit the Hulk with deadly efficiency, forming wall of slow moving death. Riker could picture the Ork faces lighting up in surprise as the bombs fell right into their home.

The missiles and guided rockets fired by Riker a second later set off a huge blast of energy and a corona of white light. The chunks of material and dust swelled up into a monstrous cloud of destruction. The target – a reactor that powered the Hulks random flight – imploded with such a force that the marauder was thrown forward, almost pushed into debris left from the battle.

-Nice shot Raptor 2, I practically felt the explosion from here!—

Riker heard Volt'z voice crackle through the backwash of static from the detonation. The vox unit struggled to deliver the message as he continued to wrestle control of the flyer.

"Give me a second!" Yelled Mole, "I have to adjust the damn fuses again".

"Frak!" Riker yelled back, switching his targeting system to the Marauders heavy bolter. A bead of sweat rolled down his face, and he quickly wiped it away. He noticed it was hot. Space was a cold and dark place, but the heat generated from the Lascannons and overheating weapon systems was taking a huge toll on his body. He slowly chanted a litany of battle to calm his nerves, and smiled as his Bolters raked the weapons of the Hulk.

-Raptor 2! We have located what would seem to be the bridge. Uploading target coordinates now—

"Got them", replied Riker. "How does it look up there?"

-Oh it's a mess, Raptors 1-15 are all deployed, and several Lightning wings are locked in combat with Ork fighters. Watch your back for strays—

Riker cursed under his breath as he saw the Ork "Command deck". It looked like it had been ripped right out of an Imperial Cruiser. It was well defended, with clusters of guns and fighta-bombas ready to receive what ammo he had left.

"Mole, watch the radar. All angles are hostile".

Again he rolled the Marauder to its side, and smoothly moved through the debris and chunks of rock orbiting the Hulk. Riker watched Raptor 8 do the same, gracefully avoiding being crushed by the Hulk and a random asteroid. Orthos, the commander of Raptor 8 was a veteran of many campaigns, and a close friend. The Vox jumped to life as he received a message.

-Raptor 8, how many incendiaries do you have left?—

"Im low, everything sent into that blasted reactor", he replied.

-Follow me in, ive got plenty—

"Fat chance – You can follow me!" he said back to Orthos.

-Affirmative. May the Emperor guide you Raptor 2!—

"Hold on Mole!" Riker yelled over the Marauders comms-system. "I just volunteered us to draw fire off Raptor 8!".

Riker 8 watched the screens as the numbers moved and changed. Mole had diverted the power from the Lascannons to the shields. Privus, the fighters Tech-priest was running back and forth blessing every inch of the Marauders hull in the name of the Machine God. Riker chanted a litany from his home-world, and hoped to the Holy Emperor that he would make it out of this scrap alive. The mission was nearing completion, as the Ork Hulk had taken crippling damage. The bombers had hit every important looking piece of metal jutting from the Hulk, the Orks thrown into dismay. The _Emperors Intervention_ would finally be in position to bring its huge battle cannon and plasma batteries into the fight, and deliver the killing blow. A deadly ballet of wits was almost over, and he would soon witness the final act.

As long as his distraction didn't get him killed.

-Two fighta-bombas coming in from the left!—

Rikers heartbeat soared as the alarm sounded from Orthos. "Swift Justice, Sure Death!" He yelled, the motto of the Raptors proudly as he turned to meet the attackers. Rikers cry was lost as the engines deafened his war cry, screaming their own symphony of destruction. He pushed the throttle forward and manipulated the ship to its maximum potential. Still, every moment was a fight for his life as he avoided the attack from the Ork ships. His maneuvers pushed the crew to their breaking limit, but he was sure they could hold on just a little longer. Raptor 8 was so close.

-Today you fight for honor men! The enemy laughs at the very thought of our victory, but we will blow their throats out the back of their skulls! With the God Emperor at your side, and his infinite armies at your backs, you cannot be stopped!—

The speech echoed throughout the hull of every fighter, every corner of the bridge, and the corner of every room. But most importantly, it echoed through their hearts.

Again, Riker jinked to avoid another volley of shots sent by the Hulk. But this time, the roll was a millisecond too late, and a lasburst grazed the wing of his Marauder. The craft groaned under the stress, and shuddered as another round went through the tail. Riker fought for control, but it was quickly turning into a losing battle.

His grip finally gave way, and Riker thanked the Machine-God for the straps that held him into place. But the Tech-Priest had not been so lucky. Riker listened in horror as his screaming body was thrown through the air and into the hull. It hit with a sickening crunch, his last moments repeating in the back of Rikers mind. He had seen death before, but there was a sick way that an unseen death taunted the mind, allowing the listener to make up their own gruesome ending. He could imagine the body slowly sliding down the wall, blood draining out his mouth and onto the floor. He wanted to get up, and help the man. Privus had been his name.

"May the Emperor watch over you", he whispered to no-one in particular.

The Marauder had stabilized itself during the Tech-Priests demise, and Riker focused on the objective. Having successfully drawn the Orks fire, Rikers part was almost complete.

-Raptor 2!—

"Speak quickly Orthus!"

-I am locked and ready. Break from your current course now and head back to base—

"Affirmative, heading back now!"

Riker was relieved to hear the order after the death of Privus. His Marauder was a mess, his crew hurt, and the mission almost over. He was also mentally shot, and angry at the Orks for the injuries the caused. Orthos had taken advantage of his offer, and he needed to get out fast. Hopefully his life was worth more to Orthos then some covering support.

Loading bay 23F was as dark and rusted as the rest of them. Its like no man cared about the space that they lived in. Disease was common in the tightly confined spaces of a battle ship, and the _Emperors Intervention_ was due for a deep cleansing. Most of the workers on the ship were slaves or criminals, so their lives were deemed "expendable".

But in his own musty part of the ship, all Riker could do was focus on that term. "Expendable" had a bitter ring to it. The Imperium relied on expendable men like the ratings who worked in the ship. The Imperial Guard who fought across foreign battlefields. Even the mighty Space Marines were a cog in the mighty engine of the Imperium.

Men like Riker, and Privus. The Battle was a success because of their sacrifices. Riker was glad he survived, and because of Raptor Squad, many lives were saved from an impending Ork invasion. The thought of Orthos using him as a tool lingered in his mind.

That was probably because Orthos was dead.

Raptor 8 was shot down as its deadly payload had been delivered. The resulting explosion had triggered secondary explosions that blew Orthos right out of the sky. Damn Orks had ammo stockpiled next to their command deck.

Even though Orthos had used him, Riker prayed for the soul of his friend. If Orthos had not told him to fall back, he would have been caught in the explosion too.

Like Orthos, Riker had learned his place in the Imperial machine.


End file.
